Voters and candidates turned out in large numbers throughout El Paso The early voting session was coming to an end on Friday, as Election Day approaches.
El Paso County set a new record for the largest day of in-person early voting on Friday with 20,000 ballots cast, breaking the old record of 19,067 on the first day of early voting in the November 2020 election, the county elections department said. . Election day is Tuesday, November 5.
Approximately 190,000 ballots were cast by mail or in person during the 12-day early voting period, which began on Monday, October 21 and ended on Friday, November 1.
While these numbers are strong, they fall short of the more than 225,000 votes cast early in the 2020 presidential election during the COVID-19 pandemic, which could indicate that Election Day will be marked by long lines and frustrated voters.
From the Marty Robbins Recreation Center on the East Side to Bassett Place in Central and the Van Doren Library on the West Side, the turnout was strong Friday. Rows of voters lined up at several polling stations to cast their votes.
Even on a ballot chock full of high-profile votes racing for mayor And The El Paso City Councilmost voters were most motivated to cast their ballots in the presidential contest between Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump.
Some didn’t even vote in El Paso County races.
El Paso City Council candidates compete for attention at the Marty Robbins Recreation Center
Although the lines at the Marty Robbins Recreation Center pale in comparison to those on the first day of early voting, the candidates are competing for the Eastridge-Mid-Valley District 7 seat on the City Council were ready to make their pitches to voters as they joined the line.
Just beyond an orange cone marking the 100-foot boundary that campaigns must follow when promoting their candidates, stood council candidate Fabiola Campos-Lopez, who has been visiting polling places on the East Side for the past two weeks.
“I think it’s different every poll,” she said, getting her message out to voters before they head to the polls. “In some places, people are more educated and have already done their research.”
“(Voters) are here mainly for the presidential elections, so it’s good to be here.”
Not far away, her strongest competitor, Lily Limón, was the apparent frontrunner in the race.
“I think voters today are just very focused and coming out to cast their votes,” she said. “They’ve done their research.”
Like Campos-Lopez, Limón has spent the past 12 days making the rounds through District 7 and has found success in reaching voters, something she credits in large part to her high-profile status in the area.
“I think I have an advantage because of the name recognition,” she said.
Other campaigners were not so candid – one woman with a life-size cutout of mayor candidate Brian Kennedy refused to talk about early voter turnout, and nearby a group of men huddled around a truck, draped in campaign posters for Candidate for El Paso County Sheriff Oscar Ugarte declined to give their names.
In recent days, Jose Chavez, who cast his vote Downtown, has been visiting the recreation center wearing a Trump hat he picked up at a local thrift store. However, the pollster told him that his hat constituted illegal election activity.
Texas election laws prohibit electioneering activities, including wearing shirts, hats or clothing for or against a candidate or political party, within 100 feet of a polling place.
“I didn’t bother anyone there,” Chavez said.
Chavez’s support for Trump is rooted in the presidential candidate’s tough personality: tough on terrorists and tough on immigrants.
“My big problem is … President Trump is the lesser of two evils,” he said. “I have read the Scriptures, and they are both bad… (but) every country in the world defends its own borders (if Trump is not elected), we are headed for World War III, a nuclear war.”
Richard Hernandez, who cast his vote Friday, disagreed.
“I just don’t like Trump,” he said. “That’s the main race.”
He admitted to having voted against all votes statements on the ballot except proposal Ethat would allocate $32.7 million for a new animal shelter in the county.
Meanwhile, Javier Zaragoza did not vote in the municipal elections and did not know in which district he lives.
“I always vote,” he mused. “I think it’s our civic duty, I think it counts.”
The presidential election draws long lines at Bassett Place
A long line of voters could be seen in the lobby of Bassett Place on Friday, but security quickly instructed reporters not to report on private property, per management’s orders.
However, that didn’t stop Marina Rush from detailing what brought her to the polls.
“We want Harris in there,” she said. “We do not want a second term with Trump.”
While she saw Harris as honest and trustworthy, she criticized Trump for the disparaging comments he made about women, including his daughter. the 34 misdemeanor counts he was indicted earlier this year for falsifying company records.
“I can’t believe our justice system,” Rush said. “They completely disappointed us.”
While she recognized the importance of local races, Rush said the presidential race was the main draw for her.
“I’m interested in El Paso, but my interest is really in the presidency,” she said. “All these things that could happen in the future will happen much sooner (if Trump is elected). It’s a shame.”
Trumpeter for Trump performs at the Van Doren Library
In the parking lot at the Van Doren Library on Friday, David Delgado stood, dressed from head to toe in white mariachi attire, belting out tunes in support of his candidate.
“People don’t understand that if Harris gets elected, they’re going to keep bringing these people over, these illegal immigrants, and you can’t control the Democratic Party anymore,” he said, standing behind an oversized Trump sign. “I haven’t done this for any other president, but if I had to go to war, I would fight for this man.”
James Barton settled for his vote for mayor, but said the City Council race was “kind of a toss-up.” After waiting 40 minutes to cast his vote, he called on the El Paso County Elections Department to invest in additional voting machines.
“People can’t wait an hour,” he said. “I’m retired, so I can do it, but for these working people it’s very difficult.”
Just like the District 7 race took place in the parking lot across town, West Side Candidates from district 1 You could see them running around everywhere, hoping at the last minute to attract voters who might still be undecided.
“I think the turnout here was fantastic,” said West Side City Council candidate Alejandra Chavez. “I think the voters are well informed and have good intentions. I haven’t seen any negativity, which is great.”
Not far away was one of her three competitors in the District 1 raceTom Handy, who has taken up residence in the library since voting began.
For his party, Handy said the crowd arriving at the Van Doren Library is fairly evenly split between voters who know exactly who they are supporting and those who are receptive to hearing a candidate’s message in person.
Despite some voters avoiding local races, he said local races have a big impact on a person’s daily life.
“I think the city council has a greater effect than the president,” he said.
Adam Powell covers government and politics for the El Paso Times and can be reached by email at [email protected].
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